By Gillian Yuan BN BSc MBEC
Body Acceptance Coach for Moms
We’re getting real, Mama!
A few months ago, I attended a fabulous conference for women in business in my area. It was wonderful and so nice to see people in person! I met some wonderful female entrepreneurs and even “fangirled” a bit meeting Dr. Jody Carrington and her fabulous COO Marti! It was a wonderful day and night!
However, a few days later, I was feeling down on myself. All of these negative thoughts started swirling in my mind. Thoughts ranging from who am I to be in their presence (imposter syndrome) to why am I not further along in my business and my life? I even convinced myself that all I needed to do was….buy and wear false eyelashes!!!!
If you know me, you know that false eyelashes are the last thing I would ever wear! Growing up in competitive ballet and dance, I wore a lot of makeup for performances, so I was never really into makeup outside of dance, even now.
Isn’t that what we do, Mama?
We look at someone else’s life and compare ourselves, and think if only I (insert what you think you don’t have, false eyelashes, the perfect body, a more supportive partner, a better career, the list can go on and on). There’s a reason they say “comparison is the thief of joy”! Once I realized that false eyelashes were not the magic bullet to my success (hint, neither is weight loss), I started looking more inwards. I looked at my life overall. It brought me to look at what I value. Some of these include my family, being present in my son’s life to take him to and from school or other extracurricular activities, and being present with my family in the evenings.
I wasn’t truly valuing myself.
At the time, I didn’t quite know what it meant for me, personally, to value something, let alone to value myself. So as I started to become curious about this, I discovered that for me, valuing something or someone means to spend time with, take care of, place importance upon, and cherish or treat with high regard.
Hmmm…was I really doing that for myself?
Looking at myself in the mirror, still in my PJs, messy hair, messy office, and messy house (#momlife am I right)…I didn’t see many areas in my life that someone else would look in and say “This Mom values herself”. You see, theoretically, I believed I was valuable, that’s an innate thing. But practically, my actions were not matching my beliefs.
Do your actions match your beliefs?
In order to start doing the things that showed me that I valued myself, I first had to start thinking that it was worth it, that I was worth the effort! After all, I mostly work from home, and barely anyone sees me all day, except my clients online, so I clean myself up a bit. Overall, what did it matter if my hair was messy and I was still in my PJs?
What mattered was how it made me feel!
So, I made a list of the things I would do for myself because I am valuable. These included getting dressed in clothes I felt good in every day, putting on a bit of makeup (but not the false eyelashes), moving my body in ways that felt good to me, getting outdoors, being more focused on my business, and telling myself that I was worth the effort every step of the way! I continue to do this on a daily basis, and I feel so much better! Am I perfect at it? Far from it, but I am making progress each day and feel good about myself, and what I do, and my family notices it too.
By taking the steps to value me, I also value those I love.
Next steps to start truly valuing yourself!
After reading this, do you treat yourself as valuable, Mama?
If not, what would it look like in your life for you to value yourself?
List 3- 5 small, simple, and practical ways you could show yourself value in your daily life right now, in your current body.
1-__________________________
2-__________________________
3-__________________________
4-__________________________
5-__________________________
Can you believe that you are worth the effort to complete these things, most days?
If you aren’t sure how to get started or would like some help, I am here for you!
Book in for a Free (no obligation) Consultation Call with me and we can work through this together. I have been there, you are not alone, Mama!
All the best as you step into practical ways of showing yourself value.
I promise that YOU are worth the effort, Mama!
Gillian Yuan
BN BSc MBEC
Body Acceptance Coach for Moms
Disclaimer: The information in this blog is meant for educational and informational purposes only. Gillian Yuan is not a licensed medical or mental health professional. Please seek the support of your provider.
Copyright June 8, 2022 all rights reserved, Gillian Yuan.,